Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yospirit Lake’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Yospirit Lake’, characterized by its upright and uniformly mounded plant habit; freely branching and vigorous growth habit; dark green-colored foliage; uniform flowering response; early flowering habit, seven-week response time; freely flowering habit; daisy-type inflorescences with purple and white bi-colored ray florets; and good postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Yospirit Lake’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially grown as a potted Chrysanthemum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yospirit Lake’.

The objective of the breeding program is to create new potted Chrysanthemum cultivars that are suitable for year-round production with freely branching habit, uniform plant growth habit, good vigor, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast response time and excellent postproduction longevity.

The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in March, 2003, in Salinas, Calif. of a proprietary Chrysanthemum×morifolium seedling selection identified as code number YB-4859, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary Chrysanthemum×morifolium seedling selection identified as code number YB-A5305, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected in December, 2003, by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Fort Myers, Fla. The selection of this plant was based on its uniform plant growth habit, freely branching habit, vigor, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast response time and excellent postproduction longevity.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in Fort Myers, Fla. in March, 2004. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Yospirit Lake have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Yospirit Lake’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Yospirit Lake’ as a new and distinct potted Chrysanthemum cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright and uniformly mounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching and vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Dark green-colored foliage.     -   4. Uniform flowering response.     -   5. Typically grown as a center-budded or as natural spray type.     -   6. Early flowering habit, seven-week response time.     -   7. Freely flowering habit.     -   8. Daisy-type inflorescences with red purple and white         bi-colored ray florets.     -   9. Good postproduction longevity with plants maintaining good         substance and color for about three weeks in an interior         environment.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have larger inflorescences         than plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower about one week earlier         than plants of the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the female parent         selection differ in ray floret color as plants of the female         parent selection have light purple and white bi-colored ray         florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower about one week earlier         than plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower more uniformly than         plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Yofort Wayne, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,758. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Fort Myers, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Yofort Wayne in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more mounded than and         not as upright as plants of the cultivar Yofort Wayne.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about one week         earlier than plants the cultivar Yofort Wayne.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of typical flowering plants of ‘Yospirit Lake’.

The photograph at the top of the sheet in a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Yospirit Lake’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Leamington, Ontario, Canada during the autumn in a glass-covered greenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial potted Chrysanthemum production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from about 21° C. to 27° C., night temperatures ranged from about 17° C. to 19° C. and light levels ranged from 4,000 to 6,000 foot candles. Four unrooted cuttings were directly stuck in 15 cm-containers, exposed to long day/short night conditions, and pinched about two weeks later. At that time, the photoinductive short day/long night treatments were started. Plants used in the photographs and for the description were center-budded and were about eleven weeks old. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Observations and measurements were taken from a single plants.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Yospirit     Lake. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number YB-4859,             not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number YB-A5305,             not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About four days at temperatures of             about 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About ten days at             temperatures of about 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine to thick, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous daisy-type potted Chrysanthemum             typically grown as a center-budded or as a natural spray             type. Stems upright and outwardly spreading giving a             uniformly mounded appearance to the plant. Freely branching             habit, about four lateral branches develop after removal of             terminal apex (pinching); dense and full plant habit. Strong             and vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 19.5 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 16 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 16 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Internode length: About 1.4 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Pubescent. Color: 147B. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 5.1 cm.         -   Width.—About 3.5 cm.         -   Shape.—Palmately lobed.         -   Apex.—Cuspidate.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Palmately lobed, sinuses between lateral lobes             mostly parallel.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Fine pubescence; veins             prominent on lower surface.         -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper surface: 137A. Developing             foliage, lower surface: 137C. Fully expanded foliage, upper             surface: 147A; venation, 147B. Fully expanded foliage, lower             surface: 147B; venation, 147B.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 147B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with             ligulate-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on             terminals above foliage. Disk and ray florets arranged             acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescence faintly fragrant,             typical of Chrysanthemum. Typically grown as a center-budded             or as a natural spray type.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plants flower             in the autumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other             times of the year, inflorescence initiation and development             can be induced under short day/long night conditions (at             least 13.5 hours of darkness). Early flowering habit; plants             exposed to two weeks of long day/short night conditions             followed by photoinductive short day/long night conditions             flower about seven weeks later.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color             and substance for about three weeks in an interior             environment.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering, about 15             inflorescences develop per plant.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.8 cm. Diameter: About             1.1 cm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to 183D.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 7.4 cm. Depth (height):             About 1.8 cm. Diameter of disc: About 1.2 cm. Receptacle             height: About 7 mm. Receptacle diameter: About 1.7 cm.             Receptacle color: 146B.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Ligulate. Orientation: Initially             upright, then about 30° from vertical, eventually             perpendicular to peduncle. Aspect: Initially incurved, then             mostly flat. Length: About 4.2 cm. Width: About 1 cm. Apex:             Emarginate. Base: Attenuate; short corolla tube. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;             velvety. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 20             arranged in about two whorls. Color: When opening, upper             surface: Close to 71A. When opening, lower surface: Close to             186B to 186C. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to 71A;             towards the basal margins, close to 71C; longitudinal             stripes and towards the base, close to 155D. Fully opened,             lower surface: Close to 155D; center and towards the apex,             tinted with close to 186B to 186D.         -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed at center of receptacle.             Shape: Tubular, elongated. Apex: Five-pointed. Length: About             7 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Number of disc florets per             inflorescence: About 116. Color, Immature: Apex: Close to             150B. Mid-section: Close to 145D. Base: Close to 145D.             Color, mature: Apex: Close to 1A. Mid-section: Close to             145D. Base: Close to 145D.         -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 16             arranged in about two whorls. Length: About 5 mm. Width:             About 3 mm. Shape: Elliptical. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, waxy.             Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface:             Close to 146B. Color, lower surface: Close to 146A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: First peduncle: About 3.7 cm. Fourth             peduncle: About 4.8 cm. Diameter (first peduncle): About             1.5 mm. Angle: About 45° from vertical. Strength: Strong,             flexible. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 148A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Filament length: About 2 mm. Filament color: Close to             145D. Anther shape: Narrowly oblong. Anther length: About             2 mm. Anther color: Close to 15B. Pollen amount: Scarce.             Pollen color: Close to 15B. Gynoecium: Present on both ray             and disc florets. Pistil length: About 7 mm. Stigma shape:             Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to 2A. Style length: About             3.5 mm. Style color: Close to 145D. Ovary color: Close to             157A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under     commercial conditions. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have     demonstrated good tolerance to low temperatures of about 5° C. and     high temperatures of about 38° C. 

1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yospirit Lake’ as illustrated and described. 